Nearly all Canadians (77%) strongly or somewhat oppose Canada becoming part of the U.S., while 15% of Canadians support it, new YouGov polls in Canada and the U.S. find. Support for Canada joining the U.S. is stronger in the U.S., but more Americans oppose the idea (42%) than support it (36%).
The prospect of Canada joining the U.S. has come up repeatedly over the centuries, including proposals for peaceful mergers and for military conquest. It was proposed most recently by U.S. President Donald Trump, and has been criticized by Canadian leaders.
Opposition to joining the U.S. is widespread in Canada. 70% or more strongly or somewhat oppose the idea among Canadians who supported the Liberal Party, Conservative Party, and New Democratic Party in the 2021 federal elections, and among residents of Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, and the Prairie provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Views on annexing Canada are more mixed in the U.S. More 2024 Trump voters support than oppose Canada joining the U.S., while Kamala Harris voters are more likely to oppose annexation. Residents of the Northeast are more likely to support Canada joining the U.S., while residents of the Midwest and West are more likely to oppose it; Southerners are evenly divided.
Few people in either country expect that Canada joining the U.S. would be an easy process. 68% of Americans and 74% of Canadians say it would be very or somewhat difficult for Canada to become fully a part of the U.S., while 15% of Americans and 13% of Canadians say it would be very or somewhat easy.
In both countries, those who support Canada joining the U.S. are more likely to say it would be easy than those who oppose annexation.
Two-thirds (68%) of Canadians say Canada joining the U.S. would be bad for Canada, while only 13% say it would be good for Canada. Americans are more divided — 32% say annexation would be bad for Canada and 29% say it would be good.
There's no consensus in either country as to whether Canada joining the U.S. would be good or bad for the U.S. 34% of Canadians and 24% of Americans say annexation would be bad for the U.S., while 35% in each country say it would be good for the U.S.
Greenland
Trump also has called for the U.S. to take over control of Greenland, which is currently an autonomous territory in Denmark. Americans are divided over this proposal: 33% strongly or somewhat support it and 34% strongly or somewhat oppose it. Canadians are much more likely to oppose Greenland becoming part of the U.S. — 12% support it and 57% oppose it.
Canadians are more open to the idea of Greenland joining Canada: 38% of Canadians support this happening, while 29% oppose it. Among Americans 22% support Greenland joining Canada and 32% oppose it.
Residents of both countries are more likely to support independence for Greenland. 50% of Americans and 52% of Canadians support an independent Greenland, while 10% of Americans and 11% of Canadians oppose it.
Views on Canada and the U.S.
YouGov also asked Americans and Canadians to compare the two countries in a host of different areas.
Residents of the two countries largely agree that the U.S. is more of a global superpower than Canada, and that the U.S. is more politically polarized and has a stronger economy than its northern neighbor.
There are bigger differences between residents of the two countries on other topics, such as which country is more diverse, which has a more interesting culture, which has a better political system, and which is a better place to live in. On those questions and others, Americans are more likely to say the U.S. is better, and Canadians are more likely to say Canada is better.
This national preference even carries through among some people to questions such as which country is more of a global superpower; 11% of Canadians loyally say Canada was. Similarly, 21% of Americans incorrectly say the U.S. has a longer life expectancy than Canada.
In general, Americans like Canada. 76% of Americans have a very or somewhat favorable view of Canada, while 13% have a very or somewhat unfavorable view. That's not too different from Canadians' view of their own country: 81% of Canadians have a favorable view of Canada and 14% have a negative view.
But the reverse isn't true. While most Americans like the U.S. (78% are favorable and 17% are unfavorable), a majority of Canadians dislike their southern neighbor: 37% view the U.S. favorably, and 56% view it unfavorably.
Residents of both countries had similar overall views of four other countries YouGov asked about: Denmark, Greenland, Mexico, and the United Kingdom.
Just 22% of Canadians have a very or somewhat favorable opinion about Donald Trump, while 72% have an unfavorable opinion of him. Americans are far more positive about Trump: 51% are favorable and 43% are unfavorable.
Outgoing Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau is far more unpopular among Canadians than Trump is among Americans: 28% of Canadians view Trudeau favorably and 65% view him unfavorably. Trudeau is more popular among Americans — 34% view him favorably and 31% unfavorably;. 35% have no opinion.
Like Trudeau, former U.S. president Joe Biden is also more unpopular in his own country (38% favorable, 57% unfavorable) than among residents of its northern neighbor (40% favorable, 49% unfavorable).
Canada's opposition leader Pierre Poilievre is little-known in the U.S.: 70% of Americans have no opinion about him. Those who do are divided: 16% of Americans are favorable toward Poilievre and 14% are unfavorable. Among Canadians, 35% view Poilievre favorably and 50% unfavorably.
— Kristin Crawford and Franchesca Fu from YouGov Canada contributed to this article
See the results of these polls:
Methodology
U.S. poll: This article includes results from an online survey conducted January 16 - 22, 2025 among 1,091 U.S. adult citizens. Respondents were selected from YouGov’s opt-in panel to be representative of adult U.S. citizens. The sample was weighted according to gender, age, race, education, 2024 presidential vote, 2020 election turnout and presidential vote, baseline party identification, and current voter registration status. 2024 presidential vote, at time of weighting, was estimated to be 48% Harris and 50% Trump. Demographic weighting targets come from the 2019 American Community Survey. Baseline party identification is the respondent’s most recent answer given around November 8, 2024, and is weighted to the estimated distribution at that time (31% Democratic, 32% Republican). The margin of error for the overall sample is approximately 4%.
Canada poll: This article also includes results from an online survey conducted January 22 - 28, 2025 among 1,030 Canadian adults. Respondents were selected from YouGov’s opt-in panel to be representative of adult Canadians. The sample was weighted according to gender, age, education, region, and 2021 federal election vote. Demographic weighting targets come from the 2021 Canadian Census. The margin of error for the overall sample is approximately 3%.
Image: Getty (Mark Spowart)
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